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Presence
Presence is a vampiric Discipline that enables users to influence the mental and emotional state of those near them. It can be used to incite terror, whip crowds into a frenzied rage, or make people filled with the desire to please and serve the user. Level 1 Awe Those near the vampire suddenly desire to be closer to them and become receptive to their point of view. Awe is extremely useful for mass communication. It matters little what is said — the hearts of those affected lean toward the vampire’s opinion. The weak want to agree with them; even if the strong-willed resist, they soon find themselves outnumbered. Awe can turn a chancy deliberation into a certain resolution in the vampire’s favor almost before her opponents know that the tide has turned. Despite the intensity of this attraction, those so smitten do not lose their sense of self-preservation. Danger breaks the spell of fascination, as does leaving the area. Those subject to Awe will remember how they felt in the vampire’s presence, however. This will influence their reactions should they ever encounter her again. Daunt Instead of attracting people, the vampire uses Presence to repel. With this power the user appears threatening and exudes an Presence of menace powerful enough to make most mortals avoid their attention and even vampires think twice about acting against them. Level 2 Dread Gaze While all Kindred can frighten others by physically revealing their true vampiric natures — baring claws and fangs, glaring with malevolence, hissing loudly with malice — this power focuses these elements to insanely terrifying levels. Dread Gaze engenders unbearable terror in its victim, stupefying him into madness, immobility, or reckless flight. Even the most stalwart individual will fall back from the vampire’s horrific visage. Lingering Kiss The Kiss of a vampire induces near-ecstasy in mortals, but this power leaves other Kisses in the dust. Mortals fed upon by the user become addicted to the Kiss, obsessing over it and even seeking the vampire out for repeated feedings. Mortals often become anemic, self-harm, or even die from this addiction, but vampires find it a useful power for cultivating a herd. Level 3 Entrancement This power bends others’ emotions, making them the vampire’s willing servants. Due to what these individuals see as true and enduring devotion, they heed the vampire’s every desire. Since this is done willingly, instead of having their wills sapped, these servants retain their creativity and individuality. While these obedient minions are more personable and spirited than the mind-slaves created by Dominate, they’re also somewhat unpredictable. Further, since Entrancement is of a temporary duration, dealing with a lapsed servant can be troublesome. A wise Kindred either disposes of those she Entrances after they serve their usefulness, or binds them more securely by a blood bond (made much easier by the minion’s willingness to serve). Level 4 Irresistible Voice Amalgam: Dominate 1 The Presence of the user becomes a conduit for Dominate. The vampire now only needs their voice to be heard in order to employ Dominate powers. Summon This impressive power enables the vampire to call to herself any person whom she has ever met. This call can go to anyone, mortal or supernatural, across any distance within the physical world. The subject of the Summons comes as fast as he is able, possibly without even knowing why. He knows intuitively how to find his Summoner — even if the vampire moves to a new location, the subject redirects his own course as soon as he can. After all, he’s coming to the vampire herself, not to some predetermined site. Although this power allows the vampire to call someone across a staggering distance, it is most useful when used locally. Even if the desired person books the next available flight, getting to Kyoto from Milwaukee can still take far longer than the vampire needs. Obviously, the individual’s financial resources are a factor; if he doesn’t have the money to travel quickly, it will take him a far greater time to get there. The subject thinks mainly of reaching the vampire, but does not neglect his own well-being. This is less of a consideration if he only has to cross a room, unless he must get through a gang of gun-wielding punks to do so. The individual retains his survival instincts, and while he won’t shirk physical violence to reach the vampire’s side, he won’t subject himself to suicidal situations. The Summoning dissipates at dawn. Unless the subject is trained to continue toward the vampire after the first call, the immortal must Summon each night until the target arrives. Still, as long as the vampire is willing and able, she is assured to greet her desired subject some night — as long as nothing happens to him along the way, of course. Level 5 Majesty At this stage, the vampire can augment her supernatural mien a thousandfold. The attractive become paralyzingly beautiful; the homely become hideously twisted. Majesty inspires universal respect, devotion, fear — or all those emotions at once — in those around the vampire. The weak scramble to obey her every whim, and even the most dauntless find it almost impossible to deny her. People affected find the vampire so formidable that they dare not risk her displeasure. Raising their voices to her is difficult; raising a hand against her is unthinkable. Those few who shake off the vampire’s potent mystique enough to oppose her are shouted down by the many under her thrall, before the immortal need even respond. Under Majesty’s influence, hearts break, power trembles, and the bold shake. Wise Kindred use this power with caution against mortal and immortal alike. While Majesty can cow influential politicians and venerable Primogen, the vampire must be careful that doing so doesn’t come back to haunt her. After all, a dignitary brought low before others loses his usefulness quickly, while a humiliated Kindred has centuries to plan revenge. Star Magnetism The Presence powers of the user now effect people viewing them on live feeds or hearing them over the phone. Recorded images or messages do not retain the effect, however. Level 6 Forceful Summon This power enhances the potency of the Summon ability to a frightful degree. Whilst normally, someone under its influence will make considerable, and even violent effort to reach them, they will not put themselves in any danger. Not so for Forceful Summon, where they will heedlessly throw themselves through any danger to reach their Summoner. Furthermore, the cost of resisting becomes even higher. Rather than simply being able to overcome the power through tremendous will, the Summoned individual will undergo physical pain by resisting. Kingmaker The power called Kingmaker lets the vampire extend their Presence to another individual and grant them social graces that normally is beyond them. The most clueless brute can gain an understanding of human nature, the most obnoxious brat can transform into a perfect example of grace and virtue, and the shyest wallflower can become the charismatic heart and soul of the feast. Yet, Kingmaker is even more powerful when turned on an already competent individual. An already competent speaker can with the blessing of Kingmaker hold a speech that will be remembered for millennia. A skilled singer will be able to sing with the voice of an angel. A charming smile can be made so radiant it melts the blackest of hearts. To use this power, the vampire must be within line of sight and earshot of the target, and must remain in the target’s presence at all times. Love The blood bond is one of the most powerful tools in an elder’s inventory. However, more and more childer are aware of how to avoid being bound, so alternatives are needed. The Presence power called Love is one such alternative, as it simulates the effects of the bond without any of the messy side effects. While not as sure a method of control as a true blood bond, nor as long-lasting, Love is still an extremely potent means of command, enabling users to enrapture those around them with the same passionate devotion. Paralyzing Glance Some elders have honed their mastery of Dread Gaze to such a degree that they are said to be able to paralyze with a look. The power‘s name is something of a misnomer, as victims of this power are not precisely paralyzed in a physical sense, but rather frozen with sheer terror. Level 7 Cooperation Peaceful coexistence is not a common tenet of vampiric society. With that in mind, this power can nudge those affected by it into a fragile spirit of camaraderie. Few dispute that Cooperation can wield frightening, effective results. Level 8 Ironclad Command Any individual can normally resist the powers of Presence for a brief time through an effort of will. Some elders have developed such force of personality that their powers of Presence cannot be resisted without truly heroic efforts. Level 9 Pulse of the City A vampire who has developed their Presence to this terrifying degree can control the emotional climate of the entire region around her, up to the size of a large city. This power is always in effect on a low level, attuning those who dwell in the area to the Kindred’s mood, but it can also be used to project a specific emotion into the minds of every being in the area. Pulse of the City affects residents much more strongly than tourists, and also has a significant impact on those individuals who might be elsewhere at the time but who still have strong ties to the affected city. Summon the Brood With this godlike level of Presence, the power of Summon can be used to extend down the generations. Vampires with this ability are able to summon any vampire who is descended from them, whether they have met or not. The effects function the same way as Forceful Summon, and those summoned will have to fight against immense agony to resist the compulsion to answer the summoners call. Level 10 Category:Powers